School’s out for summer, and now you’ve got a house full of kids and nothing to do. The good news is, there are tons of summer projects for kids out there to keep them occupied, engaged, and learning – even when they aren’t in class. Keep reading to discover six cool projects you can try with your kids.
1. Shoebox Dollhouse
Put your kid’s outgrown shoeboxes to good use. All you need for this project are:
- scissors
- shoeboxes
- crayons/paint/colored pencils
- glue
If you want, remove the glue from the equation and design a dream studio apartment with your kids. Otherwise, use the scissors to cut off edges of boxes to make different rooms. The options for rooms are only limited by the number of boxes you have.
2. Egg Carton Boat Races
Take an old egg carton and cut it in half lengthwise so that you only have the bottom part. If you want to make more than one boat, cut that in half (just make sure that the edge of the boat rises up).
Decorate everyone’s boats and use a straw with a piece of paper cut into a triangle to make little flags. Then, go to a river or make your own and start a riverboat race.
3. Custom Wristbands
Making custom wristbands is a great way for kids to experiment with their creativity or support a cause. While you can make your own with construction paper and staples, going the extra mile and designing special wristbands with your kids is a cool way to make something that the whole family will enjoy.
4. Paper Kites
Learning how to fly a kite is a rite of passage for any kid, and what better way than to fly a kite you made yourself? Teach your younger kids the beginning concepts of aerodynamics with a simple paper kite, or let your older kids fly solo and try to make double-decker kites for an increased challenge.
5. Slime Time
Borax, glue, water, and food coloring will give your kids a science experiment they won’t be able to put down.
Combine an ounce of glue with 1/4 cup of water and food coloring if you want it. Mix in 1/4 cup of Borax and begin to stir slowly, lifting the stir stick to observe the changes. The slime should start forming immediately.
Stir as much as you can, and then reach in and start kneading it together with your hands. This allows the compounds to bond together, creating the infamous slime. Make sure to keep your slime bagged tightly in the fridge when you aren’t using it so that it doesn’t grow extra slimy with mold.
6. Shadow Puppets
Keep developing your kid’s language arts skills this summer through shadow puppets.
Take a large cardboard box that you aren’t using anymore and cut out a large rectangle in the front. In the back, cut out a circle big enough for your light source (a flashlight works great). Cut two thinner rectangles on either side of the box so that you can move the puppets around inside the box.
Use black cardstock and popsicle sticks to cut out scenery and characters for your kids to play with. This can take a while, so you can also order these online. Finally, attach butcher paper to the large square, insert a flashlight into the circle, and you’re ready to watch your kids tell classic tales and invent new stories – all without turning on the TV.
Summer Projects for Kids
Let your creativity abound this summer with these cool projects to try with your kids. Summer may be long, but these summer projects for kids will give you and your family a summer to remember.
